In manufacturing a color filter for a liquid crystal panel, an exposure method and an exposure apparatus that provide pigmented layers colored red (R), green (G) and blue (B) on a substrate with black matrix patterning are currently known (for example, refer to Patent documents 1 and 2). According to this method, a substrate stage on which a substrate is put is transferred to an exposure portion and located therein. In the exposure portion, exposure light is emitted from a light source portion to a predetermined area on the substrate through a mask smaller than the substrate, during a first exposure process. Subsequently, the substrate stage is moved a predetermined distance by a step motion. After the substrate is moved back into the exposure station (exposure portion), an area which is not exposed by the first exposure process is exposed in turn, during a second exposure process. Such exposure processes repeat so as to transfer the mask pattern to the entire surface of the large substrate.
Alternately, another conventional exposure method and exposure apparatus are disclosed in, for example, Patent documents 3 and 4. According to this method, a sheet type base material (substrate) which is reeled around a roll is brought to the exposure portion and located therein. In the exposure portion, the exposure light is emitted from the light source portion to the predetermined area on the base material through a mask with its size corresponding to the unit substrate. Thus, the mask pattern is transferred to the base material. Subsequently, the base material is brought out to be the same size as the unit substrate, and located again in the exposure portion. Such exposure process repeats so as to transfer the mask pattern to the base material in sequence, along the lengthwise direction thereof.    [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. H09-127702    [Patent document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2000-347020    [Patent document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent. Application, First Publication, No. 2004-341280    [Patent document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2001-264999
According to the conventional exposure methods and exposure apparatuses described above, however, after the exposure process for the predetermined area on the substrate (base material) is completed, the exposure process stops, the mask moves relative to the substrate (base material) by the step motion, the alignment process of the mask with the substrate (base material) is intermittently required again and again. In this manner, since the exposure process takes a long time, there exists a problem that disturbs efficiently carrying out the exposure process. Moreover, even if the size of the mask decreases to prevent its deformation due to weight thereof, the repetition frequency of the exposure process increases for the large substrate. Thereby, the exposure process takes more time so that the problem becomes further dominant.
In addition, even if a mask having a relative large size is employed in order to decrease the repetition frequency of the exposure process, a large amount of exposure energy is required. Accordingly, due to limited light source power, the exposure time should be longer. As a result, there exists a problem that disturbs the decrease in the exposure time.
Furthermore, since the mask position is adjusted to the substrate (base material) in the exposure portion, alignment marks, besides the mask pattern, should be preformed both on the mask and the substrate (base material). Accordingly, there exists a problem in that the fabrication process of the substrate (base material) and the mask becomes complicated.